As a teacher, a writer and a mom, I’ve come to realize that stories are much more than just words on a page; they are powerful bridges to understanding. By exploring stories from various cultures, we gain a richer perspective on the world, making us not just better readers, but more compassionate and informed global citizens.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept.15–Oct. 15), there’s no better way to honor and explore the richness of Hispanic culture than through the magic of storytelling. Books are a window into different worlds, and sharing these captivating tales with our children is a wonderful way to both celebrate and learn.
The books listed below tell a broad variety of stories from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. Most of the books are recently published (although a couple can’t-miss classics are included) and all are written by Hispanic authors. Happy reading!
Picture books for kids
“A Land of Books: Dreams of Young Mexihcah Word Painters” by Duncan Tonatiuh
Any and every book by Duncan Tonatiuh is perfect to read during Hispanic Heritage Month. In this one, set in pre-Columbian times, a young girl explains to her brother how their parents make books. The mighty Mexihcah (now commonly referred to as Aztec), are painters of words. The girl and her brother press pulp to make paper and collect cochineal insects to make red dye for the long paper that will be filled with stories and then folded up for storage at the amoxcalli, the house of books.
“Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter” by Aida Salazar
When government soldiers burned her home and killed her family in the aftermath of the Cristeros War, Jovita sought justice. She cut her hair short, put on her brother’s clothes, and led a peasant army. The book includes additional context of the war and photographs and details about Jovita, who was the author’s great-aunt!
“My Two Border Towns” by David Bowles
Just like every other Saturday, a boy and his dad head to The Other Side. They go through customs to get to their “twin city” in Mexico. They visit familiar restaurants, hang out with cousins at Tío Mateo’s jewelry shop, pick up Gansitos, and stop for Mom’s prescriptions. They also purchase supplies for Élder, their friend who is stuck at the border, waiting to get into the United States.
“Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutierrez and the Library He Built” by Angela Burke Kunkel
When he was a garbage collector in the city of Bogotá, José collected discarded books and opened the only library in the barrio of La Nueva Gloria where he lived. This picture book tells his story, paired with a story of a young boy who can’t wait for Saturday, when he and all the other children get to visit the library.
“Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln” by Margarita Engle
Music was Teresa’s delight. She learned to play the piano as a little girl, and by age six, she was writing her own songs. At eight, a revolution in Venezuela forced her family to flee to the United States. She found acclaim as a pianist in the United States, eventually playing for President Lincoln.
“If Dominican Were a Color” by Sili Recio
This vibrant picture book is a short read about all the colors (and sounds, tastes and smells) of Hispaniola, showing the full spectrum of Blackness on the island. Recio ends with the beautiful line about how there will never “be a palette that could hold it all.”
“Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music” by Margarita Engle
Inspired by the girl who broke Cuba’s rule against female drummers, Engle writes about how one girl dreamed of bongós and timbales and congas as she explored the outdoor cafés, parks and carnivals of her town.
“My Papi Has a Motorcycle” by Isabel Quintero
When her father comes home, smelling of sawdust, it’s time to go for a motorcycle ride! The father and daughter duo speed past Abuelita’s church and Joy’s Market and the Lópezes’ Labradoodle. Inspired by the author’s home of Corona, California, this beautifully illustrated book is a raucous love letter to all the sights and smells of home.
“Areli Is a Dreamer: A True Story” by Areli Morales
Areli’s life changes when she moves from her abuela’s home in Mexico to her parent’s home in New York City. She learns English, rides the subway with her brother, and visits Ellis Island with her class. She also learns about the uncertainty of not having American citizenship. An author’s note at the beginning of this autobiography explains the DACA program and how it changed her life.
“Growing an Artist: The Story of a Landscaper and His Son” by John Parra
In a story inspired by his own childhood and father, Parra’s story is about a little boy who gets to accompany his papi as he works as a landscape contractor. His father loves his job: the hard work, the creativity, and the thrill of finding just the right plants for every customer.
Books for middle graders
“Secrets We Tell the Sea” by Martha Riva Palacio Obón, translated by Lourdes Heuer
Everyone around Sofía thinks she’s a human girl, but she knows that she’s a mermaid. Her mother is a flying fish, and her mother’s boyfriend is a barracuda. When Sofía goes to live with her abuela (a sea dragon), by the sea, she learns that the ocean is indeed magical, but it can be treacherous too.
“I Lived on Butterfly Hill” by Marjorie Agosín, translated from the Spanish by E.M. O’Connor
This page-turning story is about 11-year-old Celeste, who loves her life by the sea in Valparaíso, Chile. When a dictator takes over the country, Celeste’s parents go into hiding and she is sent to Maine. After two years as a refugee, Celeste is able to return to Chile to be part of the generation of New Chilians. While no historical names or dates are given in the novel, it’s an obvious nod to the 1973 CIA-funded coup d’état and the brutal military dictatorship of Pinochet.
“Silver People: Voices From the Panama Canal” by Margarita Engle
In poems told for the perspective of workers, mosquitoes, howler monkeys and trees, readers learn how 600 Spaniards from Cuba were shipped to Panama in the early 1900s to dig a deep canal in the middle of a rainforest.
“The Merci Suárez trilogy” by Meg Medina
Merci’s tight-knit Cuban-American family lives in three pink houses lined up on South Florida street. Merci navigates middle school as a scholarship kid at an expensive private school, grabbles with her grandfather Lolo’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and deals with all the typical trials of being a tween. The series starts with the Newbery Award winning “Merci Suárez Changes Gears.”
Young adult books
“Secret of the Moon Conch” by David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall
Sitlali, from present-day Mexico, and Calizto, living in 1521 in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, connect across time through a magical moon conch. Calizto lives through the smallpox epidemic and the fall of his city, while Sitlali is trying to get to the United States. They both fight to survive while falling in love.
“Furia” by Yamile Saied Méndez
Camila, or “La Furia” when playing fútbol, has big dreams: Play for a Buenos Aires team and climb her way up to the North American national league. After all, her Argentian town of Rosario exports players all over the world. Male players, anyways. The problem: her parents have no idea she plays fútbol. With a complicated family and love interest, it’s easy to see why this was a pick for Reese’s YA Book Club. Readers should be aware that this story does not shy away from tough topics, including sexual assault and domestic abuse.
“Puerto Rico Strong: A Comic Anthology” edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz
This collection of more than 40 comics covers Puerto Rican history including Pre-Columbian Taino tales, superhero stories about Puerto Rican treasure, the Puerto Rican Birth Control Trials, Hurricane Maria, and everything in between.
“High Spirits” by Camille Gomera-Tavarez
These 11 interconnected short stories mostly take place in the Dominican Republic in a fictional town near the Haitian border. Each story is told from the perspective of a different member of the Belén family — from the grandma who gave birth to her son during hurricane flooding, to Ana, the baby cousin, all grown up and wondering if she should move from New York to Hidalpa for good.
“Saints of the Household” by Ari Tison
This is the story of Jay and Max, two Bribri (Indigenous Costa Rican) brothers who are high school students in Minnesota. In an attempt to protect their cousin, they beat up the school’s charismatic soccer star and now have to face the social consequences. Jay falls into a depression while Max finds his solace in art. Their stories are told in alternating points of view, Max’s in poetic form and Jay’s in snippets and vignettes. Readers should know that story includes an abusive father.
“I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” by Erika L. Sánchez
This is probably the most well-known book on this list. The Seattle Rep theater produced a stage version of the book in 2023, and a film adaptation (directed by America Ferrera) is in the works. The novel follows Julia, daughter to first-generation Mexican immigrants who wants to listen to David Bowie and go away (far away) to college. Her parents, however, want her to be a perfect Mexican daughter, especially since their formerly perfect daughter died tragically. The novel explores Julia’s grief, her determination to discover her deceased sister’s secrets, and how she holds the family together, imperfectly.
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